Claire Beranek

Route Asset Manager( Signal ling ), Network Rail

Route Asset Manager (Signalling ), Network Rail

“If you like finding solutions to problems, there is lots of fun on the railway!” Claire Beranek is a professional problem solver. Based in Manchester, she is responsible for all of the signalling assets on the northern part of Network Rail’s London North Western Route, which runs from Crewe to Gretna, taking in the beautiful Settle-Carlisle and Cumbrian Coast lines.

“I’m responsible for making sure the signalling works on a day-to-day basis, and having long-term plans in place for renewing it.”

Almost unbelievably, Claire has plans for the next 60 years for her patch. She has a small team that looks after five-year strategic planning for the signalling and another team that provides expertise and support to the staff that maintain the equipment.

Claire has been in this job for about five years, but she’s been on the railway all her working life.

“I was 18 when I joined the railway in 1990. It was British Rail then and I chose it because they offered me a sponsorship for an electrical engineering degree, which was what I wanted to do. “It was similar to a graduate scheme now. It was a two-year scheme where you do work placements in lots of different areas. So I went out on the track, I spent time with the supervisors and engineers, and in finance. I saw the railway from many different viewpoints and then I got to choose what I enjoyed the most.” From there, Claire became part of the technical support team and eventually became an engineer in a maintenance team, where she worked her way up to her current role as a route asset manager. She learnt very quickly what a difference it makes having a decent handover period when you take on a new job.

“You usually go into a job and get thrown in at the deep end, but I was led into this by my manager and there was a good period of handover time. I saw the importance of succession planning and helping people when they’re new to a job. “I love it. This is the job I dreamed of when I joined the railway.” With responsibility for a large stretch of railway assets, Claire does have a pretty hectic life though. Living in Preston, she does a lot of travelling, not just to Manchester, but also to Birmingham, London and delivery units along her route.

A mother of two, she manages this thanks to a combination of flexible working and a stay-at-home husband, who has primary responsibility for looking after the house and their children.

“He’s in charge of everything in the home and I’m in charge of bringing the money in. It’s becoming a lot more common than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I have two or three friends where the woman is the main breadwinner and it works for them. It depends on whether that suits both of you.”

Claire manages to get home for 1700 most days by leaving the office at 1515, meaning she avoids rush-hour on the trains and can find a seat, allowing her to use her commuting time to work. She then carries on working for a few hours after the kids have gone to bed, allowing her to balance both aspects of her life.

“People talk about having it all but I don’t think that’s possible. However, you can have enough and it’s down to you to decide how you’re going to do it.

“I’m a Christian, so that is the basis for everything I do in my life. I’m a Sunday school teacher and a bell ringer, which I started doing so that I could ring in the New Year in the year 2000!”

Claire feels that the railway has changed significantly in the years she’s worked on it, and it’s become a much more family-friendly place, making it more accessible to women who want to balance the needs of childcare with the needs of their careers.

“Network Rail is doing a lot to encourage more women in the workplace. When I took maternity leave for my two kids, for both of them I took 14 months off work and I was paid very well for a good portion of that time. That gave me the freedom and flexibility I needed to do this job and have a family. And there’s lots of flexible working. These policies really help you to get your work-life balance right.” ■

“This is the job I dreamed of when I joined the railway”